Williamson County traffic concerns remain after I-65 reopens

Traffic on Interstate 65 through Franklin is moving once again after crews completed demolition of the Peytonsville Road bridge a day ahead of schedule.

The bridge had to be demolished after last Friday's deadly tanker truck explosion.

But for residents who live around Peytonsville Road, the traffic nightmare is just beginning.

Traffic on Lewisburg Avenue is nothing new, but Monday morning's rush tested even the most patient driver as a line more than a mile long snaked around the bend.

"Henpeck was a shortcut, I thought," said Franklin Carlton, who lives in the Keystone subdivision. "I live off of 31 and it was backed up coming out of my subdivision."

A few miles down the road, deputies had their hands full directing traffic on Arno Road as buses rolled out and people made their way to work.

"It was pretty bad," said Claw Crowell, who owns Marymont Farms. "It was backed up quite a bit. People didn't know exactly where to go."

Since last Friday's tanker truck crash, drivers like Crowell have been trying to figure out ways to get around the Peytonsville Road closure, navigating around posted detour signs.

Crowell is forced to cut through his fields.

"You've got people coming off of 840, cutting through here, cutting through Peytonsville Road, Trinity, Peytonsville and getting off on Arno and 840, and from 840 to Arno, and it's just a mess," Crowell said.

Thousands of drivers used Lewisburg Avenue and Highway 96 to loop around the missing overpass, causing even more congestion on already busy streets, like Arno Road.

Drivers expect this to be the norm, at least for the next few months.

"Leave 15 or 20, maybe 30 minutes early," Carlton said.

Williamson County Schools officials asked parents to let children ride the school bus to ease traffic congestion in the area.

County leaders are also asking employers to offer their workers flex hours or stagger their schedules.